Door construction



y 1940-- H. J. TROCHE 2,202,274

DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /Yzmm/Y J TEOCHE fi alt 4 fflane TTORNEYS May 2 8,

H. J. TROCHE DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet I I INVENTOR. HEEMfl/Y' J TROCHE 5424 l a 72m ATTORNEYS Patented May 28, 1940 UNiTEE STATES PATENT. orrics The American Cleveland, Ohio,

Coach and Body Company,

a corporation of Ohio Application January 21, 1937, Serial No. 121,519

7 Claims. (01. 20-16) r The present invention relates broadly to motor vehicles which are used by public utility companies, and more specifically to an improvement in door constructions for storage compartments. Such organizations require the use of motor vehicles, having numerous storage compartments, for tools, supplies and the like.

Generally, in this type of vehicle, the compartments referred to are located along the outside walls of the vehicle so as to be readily accessib-le to the workmen. This necessitates a closure door for such compartments, which will afiord maximum protection from the elements, and still be easily operable and accessible when ever desired. One type of door heretofore manufactured for this use has been of the sliding hinge type, that is, a door mounted for sliding movement to closed position, and one hinged, in addition tobeing slidably mounted, so as to be capable of maximum opening. In the past, doors of thistype utilized a relatively heavy or stiff spring which had to be compressed to shift them to closed position, the spring serving a two-fold purpose in that in addition to sliding the door, it served to keep it firmly against the comparte ment wall, thereby minimizing the tendency of the parts to rattle.

To close this type of door, the procedure has been to swing it upwardly and then to force it downwardly against the pressure of the spring until the upper edge of the door cleared the top wall of the opening. Then the door would beswung inwardly to its limit and released whereupon the tension of the spring would hold it securely in place. An objection to the use of a spring pressed door has been the fact that the pressure of the spring, upon opening of the door, tends to force it violently upwardly as soon as it is pulled outwardly beyond the outer edge of the door opening. The upward motion of the door occurs suddenly andconsequently many workmen have been struck in the face and seriously injured by it.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to make an improved door construction by means of which the advantages of a bottom hinged and outwardly swung closure will be maintained without endangering the user during the opening operation.

An additional object is to provide a door, which when closed, can be locked securely to the body and thereby held against vibration without depending upon the use of a spring, which is apt to weaken, and to cause rattling while the vehicle is in motion.

Other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, reference being had to a preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the drawings. The novel features of the invention will be more fully set forth in the claims.

.Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters represent corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a public utilitytruck having four compartments, the openings of which are equipped with doors made in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevationoi one storage compartment and door therefor, shown partly in vertical section, with the door closed, shifted and locked in element-protecting position; Fig. 3 is a frag.- mentary View, similar to Fig. 2, butshowing the door unlocked and before being moved to element-protecting position; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section, taken on a plane corresponding to line 49-4 in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, horizontal section, taken on a plane corresponding to line E-5 on Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of a compartment of considerable length, illustrating a modification of the present invention, the right-hand portion of the figure being shown in vertical section; Fig. '7 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the modification, taken on a plane corresponding to line ll on Figs. 1 and 6.

As an embodiment of the present invention, I have shown in Fig. l a public utility truck, designated as awhole by the reference numeral It. Trucks of this class are generally motor 5 vehicles, composed of a chassis, upon which the usual cab H and body l2 are mounted, the chassis being supported by the conventional wheels l3;

Field work of public utility companies necessitates the use of motor vehicles having numerous compartments for the storage of small tools, supplies, etc, and these compartments are generally, but not necessarily, formed adjacent the outside walls of the body l2, as shown in Fig. l,

and have closure doors opening to the outside of said vehicle. With this arrangement it is highly desirable to have the closure doors for said compartments as nearly weather-proof and rattle-proof as possible, and yet be easily, conveniently and safely opened. It is the construction and operation of these doors with which the present invention is concerned.

' Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the present invention, and for the present to Fig. l, the motor truck I0 is illustrated as having four compartments on its righthand side, two of which have closure doors operated by a single handle, and the remaining two doors being equipped with double handles. It will be observed that the doors, having single handles, are for compartments having comparatively short, longitudinal dimensions, while the doors having double handles, are for compartments having considerable longitudinal dimensions.

Referring now to Fig. 2, the reference character I4 designates the outer wall of one of the compartments which is preferably formed of a sheetmetal plate, spaced outwardly from the wall of the body I2, and thence in such a manner as to form top, bottom and end walls for the compartment. As all of the openings I5 in the outer wall I4 are identical, the description of one will suffice for all. One of such openings is shown in Figs. 2 and 4, as being closed by a singlehandle door I6. The upper edge of the service opening I5 in wall I4 may be constructed by bending a portion of the wall adjacent said opening inwardly and upwardly upon itself, as shown in Fig. 4 at IT, in such fashion that the upper edge of the opening I5 is convex and bevelled or inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the body I2. The vertical edges of the opening I5 are bent to form L-shaped pockets I8, as shown in cross-section in Fig. 5, for reasons presently explained.

The preferred formation of the door I6 comprises a sheet-metal plate which is bent upon itself in the following manner: the top edge is bent inwardly, downwardly, and outwardly, and thence downwardly, as shown at It in Fig. 4, in such manner that the upper edge of said door is concaved and beveled or inclined upwardly to match the upper edge of opening I5. The vertical edges of the door I6 are bent in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5, to provide the vertical flanges 20 and 2i, respectively, and vertical walls 22-22 respectively. When the door I6 is in closed position against the wall I4, the flange 2| and walls 2222 are received by L-shaped pockets I8, formed by the vertical edges of openings l5, previously described, and the flange 20 is of suflicient width to overlap the opening I5, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The bottom edge of the door I6 is bent as shown in Fig.4 around the hinge pin 23, which protrudes beyond the flanges 20-40, as shown in Fig. 2, and is retained for vertical sliding movement by brackets 24-24 attached to the wall I4.

From the description thus far given, it will be apparent that the marginal edges of the door I6 are given considerable thickness and that the center portion of the door thus far is confined to the thickness of the sheet-metal used.

The center portion of the door I6 may be reinforced and given cross-sectional thickness, equivalent to its marginal edges in the following manner: Sheet-metal plate 25 is spaced apart from the door I6 by Z-bars 2626, one end of each bar being suitably secured to the door I6, as for example, by spot-welding, and the other end being suitably attached to the plate 25, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The mechanism for shifting the door after it has been swung to the limit of its upward movement preferably comprises a bar 3| which is movably carried by the door, and which is adapted to engage abutments 31 which are shown on the side walls of the door opening. The bar is adapted to be actuated by means of a cam 28, and the cam in turn is arranged to be moved whenever the handle 21 is turned. A spring 3| normally urges the bar upwardly into contact with the cam and the parts are so arranged that when the handle is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the bar clears the abutments 3'! at which time the top edge of the door clears the overhanging lip on the top wall of the door opening. The shape of the cam however, is such that when the handle is rotated, the bar is forced into engagement with the abutments, and the door is lifted until the top edge of it contacts the upper wall of the door opening, thus making a weathertight joint therewith.

In the position shown in Fig. 3, the hinge pin 23 is adjacent the bottom of the slots in the brackets 27, but as shown in the closed position of Fig. 2, the hinge pin is raised and is near the top of the slots in the brackets 24. There is a slight clearance however, between the hinge pin and the top wall of the slots, so as to assure a close fitting engagement between the door and the top wall of the opening.

The door lifting mechanism may be conveniently mounted behind the outer panel in a manner that renders it accessible for inspection, and repair. To this end, the bar 32 may be slidably mounted in vertically disposed slots 33 in the walls 22, the walls being reinforced at such point by plates 34, which are attached in any suitable manner, such as by welding. The spring 3i may be supported by passing it through slots 40 that are formed on an inturned flange, at the bottom of the plate 25. The cam 28' is rigidly mounted on a shank of the handle 21' and is disposed directly above the bar 32 and is rigidly attached to the shank, preferably by a non-circular opening therein, which is engaged by a similarly shaped shank on the handle. The cam and handle assembly may be fastened together by means of a, nut 29. Axial movement of the shank with reference to the door may be prevented by means of enlargements 35, which are shown as being disposed between stop plates 35, the stop plates in turn being rigidly disposed by stop plates 25.

When the door is in open position, and assuming it is to be closed, the action is as follows: The door is swung upon the hinge pin 23 to a closed position, covering the opening I5, and the handle 21 is then rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. This rotation of the handle 21 in turn rotates the cam 28, likewise the first part of which rotation simply forces the bar 32 downwardly, within the slot 33, against the action of flat spring 3|, until the ends of it engage the blocks or abutments 31, which are securely mounted in the side Walls I8 of opening I5. When the ends of the bar 32 contact the abutments 31, the balance of the counter-clockwise rotation of the cam causes the door I6 to be bodily cammed upwardly until the flat portion on the periphery of the cam rests on the bar. This upward movement of the door simultaneously draws the hinge pin 23 upwardly within the brackets 24, and the upper inclined edge 38 of said door in close contact with the upper inclined edge of-opening I5, as best seen in Fig. 4. This produces an element-protecting joint between the top of the door I6 and the top of opening I5. If desired, a rubber gasket 39 can be attached to the upper inclined edge 38 of the door, to further aid in producing weather-tight joint between the door and door opening.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily apparent that when the handle 21 is rotated counter-clockwise to closed position, the door it will be securely locked shut that the opening liis sealed against the elements, and that the door and associated parts are mechanically locked against vibration without depending upon the use of a spring to support the door.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the door at has such length that I prefer to employ two handles, each of which has its own cam and bar mechanism associated with it. The parts which are shown in the modification and which correspond to that previously illustrated bear the same reference numerals. The modification differs from the construction of Fig. 2 principally in the fact that each bar 32 has its inner end swivally mounted in a plate H which is rigidly attached to the plate 25.

When closing the door 40, illustrated in Fig. 6, the right-hand handle 27 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, while the left-hand handle 21 is rotated in a clockwise direction. When the handles 21 are thus rotated, the bars 32 will compress the flat springs 3!, and their outer ends will be brought into contact with the blocks 37, thus lifting the door to element-protecting position in the manner previously described. It follows, therefore, that when the doors 46 are closed, and shifted to element-protecting position by the handles 2'i--2'l, that the doors and associated parts are mechanically locked against vibration with respect to the compartment wall [4.

As previously pointed out, an advantage of this invention over prior doors for this use, is that shifting or sliding of the door is accomplished mechanically and positively, rather than by spring-pressure, and that the dangers incident,

to the use of a spring are avoided.

While I have shown and described my invention as being particularly adapted for use in connection with public utility motor vehicle bodies, it is to be understood that it is not to be restricted to such use, but that the form shown is merely an illustration of the invention.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

ment of the handle to move the door bodily in a plane substantially parallel with the opening, said means including a cam operatively' connected with said handle, a horizontal bar on the door adjacent the cam and guided for movement laterally of the axis of the bar, the bar extending across the acting face of the cam so as to be moved by the cam, stops on the frame positioned so as to be engaged by the bar, when moved by the cam, means adapted and arranged to' prevent axial movement of the bar relative to the door, and a dwell on the cam which operates in contact with the bar, to lock the door positively in the frame.

2. A storage compartment having an opening in one wall thereof, a hinged closure door for said opening, and a rotatably mountable handle carried by the door, a horizontal bar member carried by the door extending beyond its edge and mounted for bodily shifting movement thereon, stops for said horizontal member carried by the vertical Walls of said opening and in position to be engaged by the end portions of the bar mem bar, a cam carried by said handle and movable thereby downwardly onto the bar member to raise the door positively against the top wall ofv the opening, and resilient means adapted normally tourge the bar ina direction toward the cam.

'3. A vehicle body having a storage compartment with a service opening in one wall thereof, a service door for said opening, a handle for said door, an elongated bar mounted for transverse sliding movement in slots of said door and projecting beyond the door at opposite edges thereof, a pair of abutments located adjacent respective ends of said bar andrigid with the respective walls of said opening, means connected with the handle to move the bar in a direction transverse to its length and cause it to bear on said abutments and thereby move the door in the opposite direction, a spring carried by the door and bearing on and normally urging the bar in a direction opposite to that effected by the handleoperating means, and a sliding hinge for said door independent of said bar.

4. In combination, a vehicle body having a tool compartment in a side wall thereof and havingan opening accessible from the exterior thereof, the

opening having top, bottom and side walls, a door registration with said abutments, said bar being movable bodily transversely of .the bar axis in a plane parallel to the principal plane of the door and adapted to engage the abutments, and operating means carried by the door and including a part which is movable with reference thereto and which engages the bar with a wedging action to move the bar in the direction stated, whereby the door is lifted with reference to the abutments and locked in closed position.

5. A storage compartment of the class described, having a service opening therein, a door arranged for closing said opening and hinged at the bottom by a horizontal hinge which permits vertical movement, a handle rotatably mounted on the door, a cam fixed for movement with said handle, a rod projecting beyond one of the vertical edges of the door and positively actuated in a down direction by said cam, and an abutment on the compartment engaged by said rod to shift said door upwardly into a weather-element-obstruction engagement at the upper edge of said service opening in the compartment.

6. A storage compartment having a service opening therein, a door for closing said opening and slidably hinged to an outer wall of the compartment, a handle on the door, a cam operatively connected with said handle for movement thereby, an elongated member on the door and projecting beyond the edge thereof and mounted for a limited movement transversely of its length with respect to the door, said member being positioned so as to be moved by said cam, and a fixed abutment on the compartment engaged by the elongated member in a manner to slide said door upon its hinge to bring one edge of said door into weather-element-obstruction position relative to an adjacent edge of the service opening.

7. The combination of a door casing, a door hinged to the casing on a horizontal hinge below lever on the outside of the door connected with the cam, the casing having an edge at the top adapted to be abutted by the door when raised in its own plane, whereby the operation of the lever through the cam shoving downwardly on the rod raises the door into a tight connection at its top with the casing without releasing its hinged connection at the bottom.

HERMAN J. TROCHE. 

